Tuesday, December 25, 2012

My Favorite Christmas Carol

Merry Christmas everybody!


I've always had a bit of a precarious relationship with Christmas, being raised as an atheist, it was always a bit confusing for me as a child.


And then there's the consumerism, and the obligatory family stuff, yadda yadda yadda.


But one thing I have always loved about Christmas is the Christmas carols. I didn't always understand the lyrics as a child, but I've never been one to pass up an opportunity to sing.


Anyhow, I spent a year in Norway as an exchange student - I was studying music, so I got to learn a number of wonderful Norwegian songs, and this carol wormed it's little way into my heart.



Here's my translation:


Lovely is the earth
Splendid is God’s heaven
Beautiful is the soul’s pilgrimage
Through the fair riches of the earth
We go to paradise with song

The time shall come
And the time shall pass
We shall follow in the path of our forefathers
But the melodies from heaven
Shall never fall silent
The soul’s happy pilgrim’s song

The angels sang it
First for the shepherds in the field
From soul to soul it sounded
Peace on Earth, Joy to men
Unto us an eternal savior is born


For some reason, this carol has always been a great source of comfort for me. I realize this is gonna sound a tad bit crazy, but the part about going to paradise with song has always conjured up stories of people holding hands and singing in the Nazi concentration camps as they were being exterminated in the gas chambers. It's a terrible thought, I know, and not exactly a "Christmassy" one, but somehow it always calms me - no matter what horrors one faces, we always have the choice to hold hands, comfort each other, and sing our way to the other side.


Peace Everybody!


13 comments :

  1. Merry Christmas Cat. Hope you and Sputnik are having a good day

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  2. You always find the funniest cat pictures! The first one is my favorite :)

    Hope you enjoyed today!

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    1. That little fellow is certainly rockin' his Christmas! Doesn't that belly just make you want to grab him and give it a big smooch? :-)

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  3. My feelings about Christmas are a bit conflicted but I try to focus on the good will and feasting; works for me :)

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  4. Very funny pics. I love that video...it is so pretty.

    I think there is comfort in the idea that nothing could be so horrific that the act of comforting another person and/or being comforted...would make it less horrible.

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    1. Somehow, I think that the pure act of comforting another can also bring comfort to oneself. Maybe that's crazy, but it seems to work for me!

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  5. You have a very interesting childhood and background. I think of you as holding hands, singing, and making it to the other side (now) as a happy adult.

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    1. Awww... that's such a lovely thought. Sometimes I'm not quite sure that I've actually "made it" if you know what I mean, but I guess I'll just have to keep singin'!

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  6. Hope you had a wonderful holiday!

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  7. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas! I can really understand how you relate to the music having a very musically inclined family myself (not me, but I've learned to understand from everyone else in my family). I've missed you and your engaging blog interaction. Cheers to the New Year! :)

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